Raj’s hotshot team of archaeologists is led on a quest around the globe in pursuit of Jiang Hao and her pirate posse. On their journey, the group must use their skills to uncover secrets about the Sapphire Dragon. The threats to their lives are constant, yet romance is in the air as a love triangle forms between three of the friends. Discover whose heart will melt and whose will be broken as you become part of the team. Take on the treacherous sea and brave a raging volcano to catch your nemesis and solve the mystery. The journey will lead you through 200 brand new jewel boards as you unearth ancient wonders and discover the secret behind the elusive Sapphire Dragon in Jewel Quest 6.

This special collector’s edition of Jewel Quest: The Sapphire Dragon includes 40 Bonus Jewel Boards, a Strategy Guide, Concept Art, Wallpapers & a Screensaver.

Jewel Quest: The Sapphire Dragon Collector’s Edition is available immediately as a $13.99 digital download exclusively through Macgamestore.com. A free trial version allows users to download and try the game for 60 minutes before a purchase is required.

System Requirements: Intel Mac with Mac OS X 10.5 or later, 1 GB RAM, and 128 MB video ram.

Dark Incursion is a side scrolling “Metroidvania” style game with a vivid steam punk art style using eye-popping pixel art combined with the stereoscopic 3D that will literally make the action jump off the screen. It takes place in an alternate reality in the late 1800′s, amidst an industrial revolution and a world war. Play as Anya, one of the few who knows about a secret bunker where scientists have been attempting to bio-engineer their own soldiers, hoping to turn the tide in war.

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Firebase Industries Ltd. is hoping to raise $5,000 over two days to help support a five person, friends and family, cycling team dedicated to completing the Ride to Conquer Cancer. All funds collected by and for the team directly supports  research at the British Columbia Cancer Agency.

The 200 mile ride takes cyclists on a two day journey (June 16th and 17th of 2012) between two metropolitan video game development hotbeds: Vancouver and Seattle. Last year 2879 cyclists entered in the event and raised a record $11.1 million for cancer research

Orbitron: Revolution for Xbox 360 is priced at 240 Microsoft Points which is approximately US$3.00 and the net revenue from each copy sold is approximately US$2.00. To reach our goal of $5,000, we have to sell at least 2500 copies of the game over the two day period.

We are counting on your kind and generous support!

About Orbitron: Revolution:

Orbitron: Revolution is a classic styled 2.5d scrolling shoot em up for the Xbox 360.  The game has been

developed on the Microsoft XNA 4.0 platform using Synapse Gaming’s Sunburn 2.0 rendering engine.  Orbitron: Revolution was entered into Microsoft’s Dream Build Play 2011 competition where it took a spot with the top 20 semi finalists from more than 200 game entries.

Orbitron: Revolution features 3 game modes:

Countdown – a wave based score attack mode that has the player racing against the clock to score as many points as they are able within a three minute time limit. Players build up points by shooting enemy droids as quickly as they can to increase their multiplier. Players need to use action strategy and choose when to release their power abilities as well as target certain enemies for maximum enemy destruction.

Guardian – protect the four Sector Ports around the Orbitron ring from laser drilling attack droids. Each Sector Port has a numeric health associated with it and when three of the four Sector Ports are destroyed the Orbitron Ring explodes.

Extra Mode – survive as long as possible with a single ship against an ever increasing spawn of enemy droids.

Additional game features include:

Full Instant Replay system for use in Countdown Mode. Players may fast forward, rewind, pause, and even select five different camera positions to view and track the action.

Ship Select where the player may choose between two visually different space craft.

Xbox Live Gold Members can add and compare their scores with others using the online high scoreboards.

Orbitron: Revolution features music by Audio Antics (Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved) and sound design by Studio X Labs (Homeworld).

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer about an ornery mutant blob that, after being held captive in a lab that can only be described as something out of a retro sci-fi movie from the early ’50′s, escapes into the world and sets out on a path to destroy and consume everything! A follow-up to last year’s PlayStation®Network title Tales from Space: About a Blob, Mutant Blobs Attack will contain a wide range of exciting new features and gameplay modes designed exclusively for the PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system.

“We are all very excited about PlayStation®Vita and to be part of the launch,” said Ryan MacLean, CEO of DrinkBox Studios. “The system’s next generation features have allowed us to really think outside of the box while developing Mutant Blobs Attack – it feels as though the technology has in some areas exceeded that of its console counterpart. We’ve had a lot of fun creating the game and we’re working hard to get it out as soon as possible!”

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack

Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack will feature new levels, new powers, new PlayStation®Vita controls, new gameplay modes, new puzzle solving elements, a new (faster) blob player character, and more.

• Play as an all-consuming mutant blob as you explore (and devour) your way through more than two dozen interactive levels.
• A wide range of environments: everything from a frat house to a metropolis
• Next generation touch controls (touchscreen and rear touch pad) combined with those of a classic platformer for a fresh take on the platforming genre
• “Tilt-a-Blob” bonus levels featuring gyroscopic controls reward players’ performance and add to the replayability
• Growth throughout levels provide players with a constantly changing perspective on the in-game world
• Challenging puzzles mixed into the action and mayhem
• Competitive, collection-based leaderboards, support for special in-game achievements and Trophies

Players learn how to compose music through an interactive music adventure. Once they create an avatar, they work in a virtual studio to learn how to mix and record music. Challenges allow players to put their skills to the test as they are matched up in voting battles against other players. A “Lounge” enables players to get feedback from each other, challenge each other, and build an audience for music they create. As players gain more experience, they earn Rock Rivals Cash and Respect, which they can use for in-game upgrades. Players unlock 24 virtual achievements, while real world rewards are provided by national brands to players that accept and win music challenges. All players can track progress in the game’s charts, which ranks players on a number of dimensions.

Features:

• Create a Rock Star avatar with 100′s of items
• Easily create your own Rock music
• Collect 1000′s of sounds, or record your own
• Add the Vocalizer to hear your voice in perfect tune, and 3-part harmony!
• Challenge others to live Rock battles
• Hang out in the Lounge and pick up fans
• Collect 24 achievements
• Collect real swag from brands like Coke and Best Buy when you win battles
• Gain experience and climb the charts to become a Rock Legend

Rock Rivals 1.1 is free, with the ability to purchase in-game currency and upgrades. The game is rated 9+ for Infrequent – Mild Profanity or Crude Humour and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later.

In Star Marine: Infinite Ammo you play as Arc, a battle hardened drifter captured by an alien race in the depths of space. You however, have other plans, and being a hardcore, highly skilled Star Marine, it is your task to take them all down in a cloud of bullets and mayhem.

Included in the download:

• 10 unique and massive bosses (one for each level)
• 7 powerful weapons
• a full set of marine upgrades
• 3 separate gameplay modes including Boss Rush & Survival Mode
• 30+ Game Centre Achievements
• 100+ in game challenges through 4 unique worlds

Two flagship titles, Battlefield Heroes™ and Need for Speed™ World, each reached 10 million registered players earlier this month. In addition, Battlefield™ Play4Free, Dragon Age™ Legends, Battleforge™ and Lord of Ultima™ bring the total community across the 25 million mark, with a combined 5 million players.

To celebrate this milestone, EA is thanking the community with the release of several special edition virtual items:

Battlefield Heroes:  EQ9M-TYYT-TXR3-5GU3 – 300 Battlefunds that can be used to purchase powerful in-game weapons, vanity items, widgets, and more in the Battlefield Heroes store.

Need for Speed World: EWPD-3KGA-VBVF-9HYS, for 750 SpeedBoost that can be used towards the purchase of cool licensed cars, performance upgrades and a wide variety of aftermarket parts.

The above codes are for a one-time use per player. The codes will expire on January 17th 2012.

“Developing a community of 25 million players is a remarkable achievement. It is a testament to the explosive growth of the free-to-play market and a reflection of EA’s commitment to spearheading the digital transformation. We plan to continue to innovate in the category, introduce new gameplay that delights players and keeps them coming back for more,” said Sean Decker, Play4Free, Vice President. “For our teams, this is an incredibly exciting time to be making games as the audience continues to grow and diversify.”

With regular content updates, rewards and giveaways, EA’s Play4Free titles boast vibrant and active communities. Since the launch of Battlefield Heroes, over 8 billion bullets have been fired, with nearly 532 million in-game kills. In Need for Speed World, over 15 million races and 22 million pursuits are logged every month with gamers from 237 countries playing, according to Google Analytics: Countries as of January 10, 2012 .

This month, EA’s Play4Free portfolio continues to buzz with activity and updates. Need for Speed World is releasing a series of new cars, starting with the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S that went live on January 10^th. The month will continue to see an impressive rollout of vehicles from exotics to muscles to beloved classics. Battlefield Heroes has a fresh slate of clothing items and weapons launching in the coming weeks as well. In December, the Play4Free Studio, Phenomic, also announced their new, upcoming browser based MMO strategy title, Command & Conquer^TM Tiberium Alliances, which is now available in Closed Beta. Sign up for a chance to access the beta today.

EA Promo Code Disclaimer:  Redeeming the promo codes requires access to Battlefield Heroes (“Product”), Internet connection, EA account and registration of Product. Code may not be substituted, exchanged, sold or redeemed for cash or other goods or services. May not be combined with any other offer, gift card, rebate or discount coupon. Retailers, distributors and employees of Electronic Arts Inc. and their agencies/affiliates are not eligible. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Limit one code per person.

Assault Rifle:  Arc’s Ol’ Faithful! The Assault rifle is standard issue rapid-fire fully automatic that releases a fury of high velocity rounds. The rifle does not sustain damage, and it boasts an unlimited supply of ammunition. Like a trusted friend, it is always there to back you up!

The Reaper:  The reaper, aka ‘Johnny Quick Death’ is a plasma propelled rocket launcher with optional upgradable seeking ammunitions. Once upgraded, the reaper can be used to deploy multiple simultaneous rockets for maximum devastation. Pull the trigger and forget about it!

The Decimator HD:  HD is for Heavy Damage. The decimator is a very tactile, high explosive grenade launcher that can be of real service when you’re in a tight spot, under enemy fire, or up against heavily armored enemies. Short ranged, but extremely powerful, the Decimator delivers the highest amount of impact damage within Arc’s weapons arsenal.

The Crippler:  Apply named for its ability to quickly debilitate an onslaught of enemies, the Crippler is a devastating spread-fire shotgun that packs a real punch. On the move or in a standoff against multiple attackers, the Crippler can dispatch enemies quickly and efficiently.

The XF Combustor:  An intense heat flamethrower, the XF Combustor boasts considerable stopping power against organic enemies and offers supreme protection from airborne attackers! With upgradable range and incineration power, the XF levels the playing field against the most menacing of adversaries!

Storm Cannon:  The weapon of the times! The Storm Cannon is an advanced lightening chain-gun capable of simultaneously targeting several enemies with a single pull of the trigger. Complete with an automatic target lock, the Storm Cannon identifies and electrifies all enemies within range of conduction!

Ion Torch:  Producing a focused blast of charged ION’s, the Ion Torch halts the hardest of enemies and rapidly cuts them down to size. Although the torch is limited in range, it is equally effective on both Organic, Robotic, and Hybrid enemy types.

Newly updated to improve overall operation, shorten game loading times, and make the game compatible with the iPad, Nukes is now better than ever. A whimsically addicting mobile shootout, Nukes is currently available on the Apple App Store for $0.99 in the Games category.

The game is simple yet deceptively engaging and addicting. Gamers choose a side – either the Yankees or the Reds – and man their battle stations. Game play is simple, just shoot as many ballistic missiles at the enemy as possible to overwhelm them. The first play who scores three direct hits wins. That means it’s time to tap the launch button, and FAST. There’s no time to blink, little room for error, and as always getting and shooting off as many nukes as possible is always the best way to go!

With its unique head-to-head playing structure Nukes is perfectly suited for both classic single player action as well as intense online gaming action. The game’s central campaign consists of 16 unique sequentially more challenging levels. Here players will face one enemy after another, each with more fire power and quickness than the last! It’s the perfect proving ground to decide who the ultimate nuclear blasting warrior is! Nukes proves that a simple, well executed mobile arcade experience is a hard thing to top in terms of entertainment value as well as all out fun!

Priced at 99 cents USD, Nukes 1.2 is rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.1 or later.

Shuttle Scuttle is a fast-paced, retro-style shooter game with a mission. It’s the year 2285 and all is peaceful since the forming of the USSA (United Sol System Alliance). That is until Neptune station reports of unidentified spacecraft approaching. A hostile force is making its way through the sol system towards earth. Armed shuttles for asteroid destruction are the only defense crafts available. Seek out and intercept this hostile force before Earth becomes a target!

Game Features:

* 8-bit artwork reminiscent of the NES
* 14 tracks of original chiptune music
* 32 levels with 8 epic boss battles
* Astronauts to rescue
* Dozens of unique enemies
* Earn up to 3 stars on each level
* Shield and fuel power-ups
* Full screen mode
* Right and left handed keyboard controls

In addition to the bug fixes and social media integration, Gupta goes on to mention that since the games launch fans have overwhelmingly asked for a few features which have been added to version 1.1. “With the 1.1 update, we also added two in app purchases (IAP’s) which the fans have been asking for.  The first is what we call ‘Grenade Power’ which allows players to add one grenade to any and all levels at any time.  No restrictions, anytime they have trouble with a level, they could push pause and add a grenade.  The second IAP we added was a level skip.  The player will receive three level skips which automatically re-generate every week.  The game is very challenging so for some of our players this will allow them to gain a bit of an edge.”

Drawing comparisons to games such as Angry Birds, Gupta states “We are happy to be compared to such games as ours is definitely in the genre.  Once people play they see significant differences in gameplay such as strategic weapon selection, a greater challenge as well as overall different physics.  The environment we’ve created allows for fans of the projectile destruction type of game to easily migrate to Troll Blaster and quickly start playing in a familiar setting.  Additionally, a much more subtle feature people really enjoy is the complete lack of load times in the game after the initial game load.”

Troll Blasters Features:

• 64 levels
• Strategic weapon selection and gameplay
• Physics engine
• Option to skip levels. Three level skips that regenerate weekly (IAP)
• Option to unlock extra grenade per level for all levels (IAP)
• Easy controls
• Trolls have power metres
• 27 achievements for you to unlock
• GameCentre support
• Retina display graphics

Can you stop the evil Trolls from taking over the world? Troll Blaster is a projectile destruction physics game in which you have to destroy structures holding the evil Trolls. Launch projectiles with your weapons and crush the structures. To progress to the next level, you have to destroy all the trolls in each level.

Each level is a new puzzle challenge in which you need to figure out what combination of weapons to use and in what order. Select strategically from one of the weapons available. Each weapon has a different effect on the different structure elements which you will have to figure out.

Troll Blaster is rated 9+ for Infrequent – Mild Horror – Fear Themes and Infrequent Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. Troll Blaster is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

Along with this patch is an enhancement to the new Ice Mine map. The 108-item drop rates have been increased for all monsters. Finally, the daily quest experience has been increased. Hint: Talk to Hunter Owen, who can be found in Ricarten and Pillai. You’ll be rewarded even more for completing his quests.

Priston Tale is a free to play MMORPG that centers on a real-time battle system. The game Tale  is perhaps one of the oldest free MMORPGs out there. The game was released in South Korea in 2001 and has since won countless awards. The game has 8 playable classes – four of them are on the Tempskron faction and the other four are on the Morion faction.

Mike V: Skateboard Party is the only HD skateboarding game available on the market. Developed by Ratrod Studio Inc., this new universal title is now available on the AppStore for only $1.99. Mike V: Skateboard Party features next generation 3D graphics specially optimized for your mobile hardware to provide you with the best skateboarding experience.

Play with your friends using the multiplayer mode, complete achievements, gain experience and upgrade your skaters. Customize your outfits, shoes, board, trucks, wheels and bearings. Challenge skaters from all over the world using Game Center leaderboards.

“Since all titles currently available in the same genre were outdated, we felt like it was time for skateboard fans to finally have a game utilizing the full performance of their recent phone or tablet. We aimed to bring something new, easy to play and well adapted for both casual and advanced players.” says Ratrod Studio’s President Pat Toulouse.

Play the career mode to complete over 25 achievements while unlocking new items and locations. Gain experience to upgrade your favorite skater’s attributes to perform better and achieve higher scores. Practice and improve your skateboarding skills without any constraints using the free skate mode.

Challenge your friends to a skateboard duel using the multiplayer mode. Share and brag your results with your friends on Facebook or Twitter using the built-in social media sharing feature.

Select between 8 characters and customize each of them to your preference. From outfits to shoes, choose your favorite gear. A massive collection of outfits, shoes, boards, trucks, wheels and bearings are available including items from iconic brands such as Airwalk, Powell & Peralta, Bones Wheels, Bones Bearings, Tork Trux and Iron Fist Clothing.

Learn over 40 unique tricks and hundreds of combinations. Follow the tutorial to get started and progress as you go. Execute the craziest combos and trick sequences to rack up some impressive high scores, gain experience and make a name for yourself on the global online leaderboards.

Mike V: Skateboard Party includes a new fully customizable control system allowing you to configure your own button layout. Use the right or left handed control mode, select a control preset or create your own. Use the analog stick or accelerometer option to suit your riding style and adjust your truck tightness to change your steering sensitivity.

The game soundtrack features music by Conditions (Good Fight Music) and Revolution Mother. Players also have the option to listen to their own music library. Mike V: Skateboard Party is rated 9+ for infrequent or mild realistic violence.

With the mobile gaming field constantly expanding, Ratrod Studio just announced that they have already reached over 9 million users for their games across all platforms. Several projects are in development including a long awaited sequel to their popular Drift Mania Championship title.

Denison originally had the idea of publishing the story as a book but soon wondered if the online world wasn’t the better way to go. This led Denison to hire Forsefield to design a powerful online world for his fictional characters to inhabit, with downloadable apps, video games, and personalized content that reaches out to the new generation of readers.

There isn’t a contemporary idea that isn’t open for discussion, and every day the team comes up with new and interesting ways to bring the book’s story and characters to the public. For a great example see Occam’s Lazer, a free game available from itunes featuring characters from the book. The game, which is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.2 or later, is rated 9+ for:

• Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
• Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

This striving for innovation led Denison to one of the project’s most innovative aspects. Denison has put out an open call for artists to sign-up to the site (it’s free) and upload their illustrations of his story for possible inclusion in the final published title. It is a worldwide invitation using the unique technology and crowdsourcing philosophy of the Internet in order to expand his book beyond the text.

And contributions are not limited to illustrations either. Denison stresses that artists are encouraged to upload their music, videos, games, etc., just as long as they contribute to the growing Occam’s Razor universe. Anything, really, that adds to the story will be welcome. He is also looking for budding audio book readers to record their readings of the book to be released as an Occam’s Razor audio book.

Artists can read the chapters 5 days in advance of their release to the public. It is a short deadline, but the whole experience is meant to be fun, exciting and creative for everyone involved.

And as there are a whopping 120 chapters in total the Open Call and project will be spread over 4 months, each day featuring more and more content for participants and readers to view. The site will also function as a sort of hub where those working on the book can exchange ideas and illustrations.

Denison hopes to get at least 10 pieces of artwork for every chapter. After all is said and done he will pick the best art and print a hard copy. Eventually the book will also be available as an ebook and through Print on demand. Denison also sees this part of the project as an opportunity for innovation. With so much material coming in, and so many folks involved, there is room for customization and personalization that is not possible with traditional publishing.

Plans are afoot to find a way for customers to customize each purchase. Buyers will be able to choose which of the illustrations they would like illustrating the text of their book. Contributing artists can also make a book featuring their art alone, sort of a calling card advertising their abilities as illustrators.

The debut game from Canada’s first female owned and operated video game studio, School 26 released on mobile platforms earlier this year. Players assume the role of Kate, a new girl in school with a knack for helping friends survive high school’s daily drama. With a focus on mastering “soft skills” such as empathy and problem solving, and a storyline brimming with real-world scenarios teens and tweens can relate to, School 26 turns the social activities many girls are naturally drawn to into unique, addictive gameplay.

“Although School 26 was originally conceived as a game for smartphones and touch-enabled tablets, since launch day we’ve had girls asking us to bring it out for computers,” says Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, Silicon Sisters’ CEO and co-founder. “Teen girls have really connected with School 26 via Apple and Android devices, but not everyone has a smartphone. With the PC version out now and a Mac version on the way, Kate’s adventures will be accessible to anyone with a computer of any type.”

School 26 is rated Everyone 10+ by the ESRB for mild references to alcohol.

* Missions: Find several kinds of missions throughout the world. Once a mission is complete, players earn various rewards including gold, and new customizations.

* New Toys: Add unique personality to your world. Play your way, complete missions, earn tons of points and buy new toys! These toys introduce new ways to have fun by adding different ways to play.

* Customization: There are many different ways to customize the way you play in Toy Box Mode. Add new buildings, then change how they look! New paint options, textures, accessories, landscaping, and tons of other fun modifications make your game unique to you. You can also change the look of the townspeople! Just toss them into various buildings in order to change their hairstyles and outfits.

Meanwhile, Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey offers young girls the chance to interact with the beloved Disney Princesses while encouraging creativity and exploration. Customize your own unique heroine character and take part in a fun-filled adventure through four unique levels to help the Princesses restore order in their enchanted kingdoms and overcome evil.

Each Disney Princess has a unique story and magical world to explore as you discover the virtues of being a true Princess – Love, Friendship, Trust, Courage and Forgiveness.

Game Features:

• Befriend and interact with your favorite Princesses – Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White and Jasmine
• Play as your own customizable heroine princess character
• Utilize unique, themed magic as you explore four enchanted Princess worlds
• Enter into Belle’s world as an unlockable bonus

System Requirements For Toy Story 3

• Mac: Mac OS® X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard®
• Processor: Intel® Core™ Duo Processor – This game will not run on PowerPC® (G3/G4/G5) based Mac® systems (Power Mac®).
• Memory: 1GB RAM
• Hard Drive: 6GB uncompressed hard drive space
• Graphics: ATI Radeon™ X1600 or NVIDIA® GeForce® 7300 GT or Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 (Intel® GMA 950 not supported)
• Input: Keyboard and mouse – Most gamepads with dual analog sticks are supported. Other gamepads may not be compatible with Toy Story 3.

Toy Story 3 is rated Rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and is available in English, French, Italian, Spanish, German and Dutch.

System Requirements For Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey

• Mac: Mac® OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard or higher
• Processor: Intel® Core Duo Processor – This game will not run on PowerPC® (G3/G4/G5) based Mac® systems (PowerMac®)
• RAM: 1GB RAM
• Hard Drive: 1.7GB of uncompressed hard drive space
• Graphics: ATI® X1600 or NVIDIA® 7300GT or Intel® integrated Video Ram or better
• Input: Keyboard and mouse

Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey is rated 4+ and is available in English, French (Canadian) and Spanish (Latin American).

Other Mac Store games from TransGaming include Star Trek D-A-C, Puzzle Quest and The Path.

After distinguishing himself in kart and football, Mario will set the Just Dance floor on fire with a fun dance routine showing off some of the most iconic environments and music of the Mario games. Now fans will be able to dance along with one of their favorite characters and experience his moves firsthand.

This new track joins seven other recent DLC additions: Anja’s Baby Don’t Stop Now, Studio Allstars’ Jump, Olé Orquesta’s JamboMambo, The Girly Team’s TwistShakeIt, U Can’t Touch This and Soul Searchin by Groove Century and In the Style of Irene Cara’s Fame, all priced at 250 Wii Points each.

“With the release of Just Dance 3 on PlayStation Move, Ubisoft is furthering its leadership in the dance video game market by offering consumers an opportunity to play Just Dance 3 on all three motion-controlled platforms,” said Lucile Bousquet, Marketing and Communication Director, Ubisoft Canada. “Just Dance 3 is the ultimate party game with a diverse song selection and unique dance routines that are accessible for players of all ages and skill levels.”

Featuring more than 45 tracks across a wide range of musical genres including pop, hip-hop, rock, R&B, country, disco, funk and more, Just Dance 3 introduces a number of new game features that take advantage of the unique mechanics of each console. To get the party started, Just Dance 3 includes some of today’s hottest hits as well as classic dance tracks that everyone loves!

The tracklist for Just Dance 3 includes:

1.      2 Unlimited – “No Limit”
2.      African Ladies – “Pata Pata”
3.      a-ha – “Take On Me”
4.      Anja – “Dance All Nite”
5.      Bananarama – “Venus”
6.      Bollywood Rainbow – “Kurio ko uddah le jana”
7.      Brahms by Just Dance Classical Orchestra – “Hungarian Dance No. 5”
8.      Cee Lo Green – “Forget You”
9.      Countdown Mix Masters – “Beautiful Liar”
10.    Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
11.    Danny Elfman – “This is Halloween”
12.    Donna Summer – “I Feel Love”
13.    Dr. Creole – “Baby Zouk”
14.    Duck Sauce – “Barbra Streisand”
15.    Girls Aloud – “Jump (For My Love)”
16.    Groove Century – “Boogie Wonderland”
17.    Gwen Stefani – “What You Waiting For?”
18.    Inspector Marceau – “The Master Blaster”
19.    Janelle Monae – “Tightrope (Solo Version)”
20.    Jessie J featuring B.o.B – “Price Tag”
21.    Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg – “California Gurls”
22.    Kiss – “I Was Made For Lovin’ You”
23.    Konshens – “Jamaican Dance”
24.    Latino Sunset – “Mamasita”
25.    Laura Bell Bundy – “Giddy On Up (Giddy On Out)”
26.    Lena Meyer-Landrut – “Satellite”
27.    Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way”
28.    LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock – “Party Rock Anthem”
29.    Madness – “Night Boat To Cairo”
30.    MIKA – “Lollipop”
31.    Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland – “Promiscuous”
32.    Pointer Sisters – “I’m So Excited”
33.    Queen – “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
34.    Reggaeton Storm – “Boom”
35.    Rita Mitsouko – “Marcia Baila”
36.    Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman – “Somethin’ Stupid”
37.    Robin Sparkles – “Let’s Go To The Mall”
38.    Scissor Sisters – “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”
39.    Sentai Express – “Spectronizer”
40.    Sweat Invaders – “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”
41.    Taio Cruz – “Dynamite”
42.    The Black Eyed Peas – “Pump It”
43.    The Buggles – “Video Killed The Radio Star”
44.    The Chemical Brothers – “Hey Boy Hey Girl”
45.    The Girly Team – “Baby One More Time”
46.    The London Theatre Orchestra & Cast – “Think”
47.    The Sugarhill Gang – “Apache (Jump On It)”
48.    Tommy Sparks – “She’s Got Me Dancing”
49.    Wilson Pickett – “Land of 1000 Dances”

Inspired by the stop-motion animation workshops offered at the Toronto Mediatheque and Montreal CineRobotheque, the PixStop offers budding filmmakers a fun way to discover the art of stop-motion animation.

Easy to use

• Ages 10 and up
• Creative and educational
• Kid-friendly interface
• 3 short tutorials to get you started
• Sample movie included to fire up your imagination
• Help window to explain all app functions

Built for endless hours of fun

• Snap up to 10,000 images per film
• Add cool music from your iTunes library
• Adjust the speed of your film in an instant
• Delete images with one touch
• Personalize with titles and descriptions for easy reference

Just shoot and share – easily export to your camera roll and share with your friends on YouTube or by e-mail.

Tutorials by NFB experts include:

1. Three Principles of Animation
2. Creating a Flipbook
3. Storyboarding Your Idea

To complement your use of this app, you can visit the NFB’s StopMoStudio, a comprehensive online stop-motion animation workshop. You can also watch hundreds of animated films from the famous NFB collection at NFB.ca or by downloading our NFB Films App today.

“Our FIFA franchise is the number one selling sports videogame franchise in the world, and Lionel Messi is the number one player in the world, so this agreement is a true partnership of superstars,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and GM of Soccer, EA SPORTS. “With Messi on our team we have the world’s best and most exciting player to help EA SPORTS maintain its global leadership in the years ahead.”

“I want to be part of the team behind the best sports game in the world and be associated with the great EA SPORTS name,” said Messi. “EA SPORTS is a brand that shares my values of creativity, excellence and social responsibility.”

Playing for FC Barcelona, Messi received the prestigious FIFA Ballon d’Or 2010 award as the top soccer player in the world, was UEFA Champions League Top Goal Scorer the past three years, is the three-time La Liga Player of the Year, and has made the shortlist for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or. At just 24, Messi has scored over 200 goals in all competitions and currently sits second in the rankings of Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorers. He has scored 27 goals and 14 assists in 29 games this season in all competitions.

The multi-faceted partnership will see Messi become an EA SPORTS Ambassador. He will become the cornerstone of marketing and advertising campaigns, featured on packaging, and utilized in social media activities around the world for the critically acclaimed FIFA Soccer franchise. EA SPORTS will also team up with the Leo Messi Foundation to support social, educational and health care related initiatives for children around the world.

The EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer series, now in its 19^th year, sold a record-breaking 3.2 million copies of FIFA Soccer 12 in the first five days after launching to become the biggest launch in the history of sports videogames.

In conjunction with the launch of Sideway on Steam, Fuel has partnered with Skullcandy, leading manufacturer of core audio products, for the “Get Your Tag in the Game” contest. To participate, Skullcandy is asking aspiring street artists to create an original piece of artwork and submit via the Skullcandy Facebook page. It will be judged by the artists who created the game, with the grand prize winner getting their Tag immortalized in the PC version of Sideway.

“After the successful launch on PSN, we wanted to bring the exciting gameplay and visual style of Sideway to PC gamers,” said Mike Burns, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Fuel. “There’s been a huge resurgence in independent games on the PC, largely due to the ease of digital distribution, thanks to services like Valve’s Steam, so we partnered with Playbrains to develop an optimized version of Sideway to let PC gamers enjoy its addicting puzzle-platforming gameplay.”

Sideway tells the tale of Nox, a street-smart graffiti artist who treats the walls of New York City as his canvas. When Nox goes to see who tagged over one of his pieces, he finds himself getting sucked into the art, landing in the world of Sideway. In the strange new world Nox finds that the evil dark artist Spray has imprisoned him as a 2D image in Sideway while Spray attempts to conquer our world. Players must help the 2D Nox escape by guiding him through a 3D maze – one plane at a time – fighting Spray and his army of bosses and minions along the way.

In Sideway, players have 15 levels to explore New York’s five boroughs, while discovering unlockable abilities for Nox to soar, slide, jump and blast his way back to escape Spray’s evil clutches and prevent the dark artist’s takeover of the third dimension. The PC-optimized version of Sideway will feature multiplayer co-op and support for both keyboard and gamepad input, in addition to the unique art style and visual flair for which Fuel is renowned.

Quadra has a simple gameplay mechanic that hooks users quickly, becoming more difficult and challenging as they progress through the game. With 30 achievements and Game Center Leaderboard integration, see how you rank against your friends.

Key Features:

- Challenge yourself with 9 different ways to achieve the highest score
- Choose between 3 difficulty levels. Each level increases your chance for a higher score
- Special Power-Ups unlocked as you play through the modes. Each Power-Up has a unique feel
- Earn high scores using a bonus multiplier and multiple chains
- Randomized Grid – Just when you feel you’ve mastered Quadra, start a game with a randomized grid. Try the Suicide Grid, if you dare
- Game Center Leaderboards – See how you compare to your friends
- Game Achievements – 30 different achievements to earn, that will increase your chain bonus multiplier

Device Requirements:
- iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
- Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later
- 8.5 MB

Quadra 1.0 is only $0.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.

Additional new features include:

• A new ‘Pass and Play’ multiplayer mode for playing against friends on a single device
• Three new powerful cards that can be obtained by referring friends

o Baphomet – Increases the damage from all the owners spell cards by 50%
o Vassal of Water – Heals 10 life to owner when summoned. Water mana growth +1. Attack equals water mana
o Traitor – Destroys targeted opponent’s card

• Option to auto-complete all of the mage sets for players who purchase the full unlocked game
• Improved art and animation throughout the game

“We are excited to announce support for iOS 5 and introduce multiplayer functionality into Kard Combat. With this social-focused update,” said Hothead producer Hamish Millar. “Nnow everyone can enjoy playing strategic card battles against their Game Center friends.”

• War of the Worlds tripod tee shirt (80 MS Points)
• Keep Calm and Carry On Tee Shirt (80 MS Points)
• Tripod helmet for (160 MS Points)
• A Tripod pet that will encircle and interact with your Avatar…creepy tentacles and all! (240 MS Points)
• A Drone pet that searches around you and scans with its spotlight – but thankfully won’t zap you (240 MS Points)
• A Spider pet that climbs around your Avatar, just like the ones from the game (240 MS Points)

The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision of the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player side-scrolling action-adventure, narrated by the acclaimed and distinguished actor, Patrick Stewart. Set in London, the gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots.

With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, the game follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to create a game that will allow fans of the film franchise to experience the thrills of managing their very own Jurassic Park,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “This exciting license is our gateway to the movie industry and reinforces our strategy of turning high-profile brands into successful interactive entertainment experiences.”

The game will provide a thrilling interactive experience where players can build, customize and grow their own Jurassic Park on the mysterious Isla Nublar. As in the film franchise, players will nurture and grow various dinosaur species through the discovery of amber pieces filled with dinosaur DNA. Players will also utilize their network of friends to attract tourists and prevent disasters from happening in their park.

The first Jurassic Park game is scheduled for release in early 2012 on mobile platforms.

Developed in conjunction with Paramount Digital Entertainment, The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure and narrated by the acclaimed and distinguished actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Set in London, the gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, the game follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

The War of the Worlds video game has been rated E10 by the ESRB.

Available now for iPhone and iPod Touch:

• Puzzle Quest Chapter 1 – Free (caution, highly addictive)
• KULA BLOX – Free (I highly recommend that you grab this game now, there are some exciting additions coming)

Available now for iPad:

• Puzzle Quest HD – $1.99
• KULA BLOX HD – Free
• Garage Inc. HD – Free (also highly recommended with The Cavechild’s stamp of approval)

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Dark Incursion is available for $1.99 and is rated 9+ for the following:

• Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes
• Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
• Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence

Features:

• Universal app with support for iPad and iPhone retina screen
• Stereoscopic 3D using classic Red/Blue 3D glasses
• Countless enemies from super soldiers to monstrous creatures
• Customizable bio weaponry with hundreds of deadly combination
• Intriguing story
• Fantastic Steam Punk art style

Do you remember the boring ol’ days when you had to feed your hamsters by hand like a sucker? Then you’d sit all day with your face pressed against the glass, waiting for them to wake up? Finally, at 3 a.m. you wake to the sound of their stupid, squeaky wheel?! Well… not our hamsters! We’re taking control and feeding our hamsters in the only way that makes sense… by shooting them out of CANNONS!

But, I guess our hamsters aren’t exactly run of the mill, off the shelf-type hamsters. Here at Hamster Cannon, all of our hamsters have undergone stringent testing and thorough top-to-bottom inspections, which allow us to feel confident that only the finest hamsters will be shot from your cannon in search of Golden Noms. Rest assured that while they bounce off walls, smash through stone, and are set on fire, most of our esteemed hamsters don protective headgear such as stunt helmets and surprisingly safe hats made of TNT.

You can experience the amazing hamster-istry when you play, Hamster Cannon. Where else can you enjoy a physics-based puzzle game, in which the user combines and launches various hamsters out of cannons to collect Golden Noms? Each hamster is armed with their own special skills so it is up to you to navigate the levels with a myriad of different surfaces and contraptions that can react differently depending on which hamster is being used. After you have collected enough Noms you can trade them in the In-Game Store to unlock different, new and exciting upgrades.

Hamster Cannon is available for $0.99 and is rated 9+ for infrequent use of mild cartoon or fantasy violence

Features:

• Over 70 intricately designed cages to blast your hamsters around
• Clever physics puzzles
• An overabundance of wildly attractive headgear
• Amazing set of power ups
• Fun for the whole family

Gain and Unleash Super Powers – After each defeat, your player will win the opponents super suit complete with new deadly powers – collect over 20 super suits to discover over 40 unique superpowers

Total Immersion Using Your Full Body – Players control each move in combat by suing their entire body to launching projectiles, dodging strikes and performing counter deadly attacks.      PowerUp Heroes includes over 20 different close-combat combination moves to master and additional double-powered super assaults to unleash.

Variety of Gameplay Modes to Compete With & Against Friends - PowerUp Heroes includes eight different gameplay modes including solo practice, campaigning & free fight, and multiplayer versus & tournament

Fight It Out Online – Battle it out in one of three online modes and face off against other aspiring superheroes. Collect rewards and achievements and display your dominance on the online leaderboards.

Gravinaytor is an old-school platform game with a new twist gravity control. Your objective is to run away from a lab that deals with a new experimental gravity controlling system.  With inverted gravity, falling up is no longer impossible; walk on walls and ceilings to reach your objective.  With 40 challenging levels that gradually become harder as you go.

Gravinaytor is priced at $0.99 USD and is rated 9+ for the use of infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence. The game is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

Toppling Towers is free to download and try, with the full version being unlockable from within the game itself for $2.99 (at press time, Big Fish had the game on sale for 50% off). Features of the game include a highly amusing story mode, a wide variety of challenging castles to defeat in a several different environments and powerful runes to upgrade your shot damage.

Toppling Towers is rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and is compatible with iPads running iOS 4.2 or later. A Hallowe’en version of Toppling Towers has also been announced, and if you are a purveyor of games on Facebook, you can play Castle Smash beta against your friends.

By adding friends, increasing reputation and solving cases, the plot slowly unravels, providing a glimpse into the Masters of Mystery Online  glamorous (and hazardous) fashion world.  New and perhaps familiar faces aid in the quest for justice.

Features:

·         Daily rewards and weekly quests
·         Build a growing private investigations firm
·         C. S. I.- inspired storyline
·         Customizable private investigator office
·         Higher-scoring premium items and scenes
·         Achievements
·         Players help friends through giving and receiving gifts for bonuses

Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked features 30 songs on Kinect for Xbox 360 and Wii^TM versions and 18 tracks in the Nintendo DS^TM version of the game. Continuing the holiday tradition that The Chipmunks have brought to families worldwide, Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked brings songs from the past and present for all generations to share and enjoy together, and dance like never before.

Sampling of In-Game Tracks:

• All Star
• Beat It
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot
• Kids in America
• La Bamba
• Love Shack
• Oh Pretty Woman
• Only Want to Be With You
• Play that Funky Music Chipmunk
• Stayin’ Alive
• The Chipmunk Song
• Video Killed The Radio Star
• Walkin’ On The Sun
• We’re the Chipmunks
• Witch Doctor

According to the simulation, last year’s Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins will be unable to claim back-to-back glory as the new-look Philadelphia Flyers will eliminate the former champions during the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five games. The Vancouver Canucks will lose in the Western Conference Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games, adding fuel to the rivalry that has gripped the two cities in recent years.

Other notable team storylines the simulation predicted for the 2011-2012 NHL season are as follows:

• The Toronto Maple Leafs will squeak out an eighth place finish in the Eastern Conference, making the Playoffs for the first time in seven seasons
• The Minnesota Wild will finish eighth in the Western Conference and will make the Playoffs for the first time since 2008
• The Tampa Bay Lightning will once again miss out on the Stanley Cup Final; eliminated by the Penguins in a seven game Eastern Conference Final

Several individual players also stood out in the NHL® 12 simulation. Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will once again lead the League offensively, posting 110 points and will take home several pieces of hardware, winning the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay and the Hart Memorial trophies. NHL®12 Cover Athlete Steven Stamkos will capture the Rocket Richard Trophy with 53 goals. The Nashville Predators’ Shea Weber will capture the James Norris Memorial Trophy and Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews will take home the Frank J. Selke Trophy. Brayden Schenn will thrive with the Philadelphia Flyers in his rookie season and will be awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy. Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers will take home his first ever Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie, leading all netminders with 41 wins and nine shutouts.

A simulation is conducted by artificial intelligence or logic of the videogame that uses real-life data from each player. Results are extrapolated by the videogame when two teams match up based on player ratings, line combinations, and include variances such as injuries and hot streaks to give a realistic outcome of a game or series.

EA SPORTS NHL®12 authentically captures hockey as it is played on the ice with more than 300 gameplay refinements highlighted by three key innovations: Anticipation AI, Dynamic Goalies and the Full Contact Physics Engine. Anticipation AI takes NHL® 12 to the next level as players will now intuitively determine their next move by reading and anticipating the play. With the Full Contact Physics Engine, size and strength matter. NHL®12 continues to innovate by giving you true to life collisions and control over the battles around the crease. With Dynamic Goalies, goalies are live for the first time ever. Players can make contact with goalies as they crash the crease and goalies will battle through traffic in front of the net as they fight through screens to make awe-inspiring saves.

New in EA SPORTS NHL®12 is the introduction of legends; nine former NHL greats – including Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux – will be integrated into the game across virtually every mode, including the all-new Be A Legend Mode. Be the next great legend in the revamped Be A Pro mode. Play as your created pro and earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals as you progress towards greatness. New to the mode is the ability to simulate to your next shift with the all-new EA SPORTS Action Tracker, which tracks and presents every major event that takes place while your character is off the ice. This feature will enhance the gameplay experience as gamers will now spend less time watching from the bench and more time playing, while still being aware of the game situation as they step back onto the ice for their next shift.

When asked what separated their game from other games such as Angry Birds or Crush the Castle, Gupta replied “Players not only have to be strategic, but have to have good aim and be able to solve physics puzzles. Also, players have to get a sense of which weapon has what effect on the structures and act accordingly using a strong sense of strategy,” added Gupta.

The game received approval from Apple and is available in the app store. “We are excited to see how our audience will react to this game. We believe that when players pick up Troll Blaster, they won’t be able to put it down. If the feedback from our beta testers response is any indication, players are going to love this game,” said Gupta.

Priced at 99 cents (USD), Troll Blaster is rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Horror/Fear Themes and Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence, and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.0 or later.

X-Men Destiny for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and Wii™ was developed by Silicon Knights, while the Nintendo DS™ version of the game was developed by Other Ocean. The games are published by Activision and carry ESRB ratings of T for Teen and E10+ (DS version).

“For the first time ever, gamers can play as a new Marvel mutant and make the key decisions that lead to their siding with either the X-Men or Brotherhood,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Activision Publishing, Inc.  ”The opportunity to play out X-Men Destiny’s branching story arcs as three all-new characters provides a unique way of experiencing the X-Men Universe — one that we think fans are going to love.”

“A great story delivered by Mike Carey, coupled with a game landscape that allows players to make key decisions that shape their journey, is a combination we’re really excited about and think fans of the Marvel Universe will be as well,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games Production,  Marvel Entertainment.

Fighting alongside and against some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men characters, including Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit, gamers will evolve their mutant skills through X-Men Destiny’s upgrade system, allowing them to mix and match X-Genes and abilities from various X-Men and Brotherhood characters such as  Iceman’s freeze powers and Emma Frost’s diamond skin.

X-Men Destiny’s three new mutants — Grant Alexander, Aimi Yoshida and Adrian Luca — are brought to life by the voices of some of young Hollywood’s most popular talent:  Heroes icon Milo Ventimiglia, Sucker Punch and The Hangover Part II actress Jamie Chung, and Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter.

“We are incredibly excited with the release of Scribble Byte Scramble”, said Russ Dawson, founder and Director of Evil Objective Studios, “our goal was to create a casual, fun gaming experience on iOS devices that would be easy to pick up but hard to master, and I think we succeeded.”
The hand-drawn art, playful aesthetic, and simple controls of Scribble Byte Scramble make it a wonderfully addictive experience for any iPhone or iPod Touch owner. Players simply drag their finger over same-colored ‘Bytes’ to create combos and score points. As Bytes are saved from the Fire Wall, special ‘Power Bytes’ become available which allow the player to slow time or recover destroyed data. Scribble Byte Scramble also features stat tracking and Game Center Leaderboards so they can test their skills worldwide.

“This was totally a passion project”, explained Dawson, “none of us had ever done anything like this before. We look at Scribble Byte Scramble as a project that was truly built on the desire to not only play video games, but play in the video games industry.”

The three-person development team at Evil Objective Studios is especially proud of the fact that the game was developed on a strict timeline and very limited budget – no easy task for a group with no previous experience developing video games.

Scribble Byte Scramble is rated 9+ for the following for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.2 or later.

Dragons Rage offers bright, graphic visuals that enhance the imagination and in turn, allow the user to get lost in fast-paced game play. The simple controls and catchy music make this game appealing to children and adults of all ages. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices running iOS 3.2 or later, Dragons Rage rated 9+ for Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.

For students attending game development and business entrepreneurship courses, Elusive Ninja features over 100 pages of behind-the-scenes documentation about the game’s development, the business side of starting up a game studio, a Post-Mortem analysis, the original Game Design Document with commentary, and more.

“School has just begun again, and with everyone getting settled in and no immediate exams to worry about there’s a lot of downtime for the first month of classes,” reminisces Bulletproof Outlaws founder Jeff Hangartner.  “I remember being bored silly and doodling in my notebooks, glancing up at the clock every 5 minutes mourning the recent loss of my summer freedom.  We didn’t have phones capable of playing games back then, but if we did you can bet I would’ve been fighting ninjas and flying spaceships instead of reading through dull course summary handouts.  So with that torture in mind, I’m dropping Elusive Ninja’s price by 50% for a week!  I’d give it away for Free, but I need to make enough money to pay my rent since I didn’t pay attention in school.  See what I did there?”

As the Elusive Ninja you’ll have to rely on your reflexes, timing, and agility to survive the onslaught of razor
sharp Throwing-Stars, blazing Fire Arrows, and exploding Dynamite! Collect Riceballs and Sushi to restore your health and learn to use your Deflection Magic to make it through the chaos alive.

Game Features:

- Epic full-screen visuals with flashy anime art
- Bonus Features with hundreds of pages of behind-the-scenes information on the development of Elusive Ninja and the creation of indie studio Bulletproof Outlaws – Everything from a post-mortem to the original Game Design Document with commentary.
- OpenFeint and Apple Game Center Leaderboard support so you can compete with the whole world or stick to one-upping your closest friends.
- OpenFeint and Apple Game Center Achievements to give you some extra challenges to shoot for when you’ve got your skills rockin’.
- Super tight controls and a difficulty curve that’s challenging but not impossible. The enemies get smarter and start guessing your next moves the longer you survive.

“As a winner of twenty-two sports game of the year awards, the NHL franchise has a history of producing high quality and innovative entertainment experiences and this year we have taken it to new heights. With over 300 gameplay improvements and the ability to play with some of the NHL’s greatest legends, such as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, NHL 12 is our most exciting offering yet,” says Dean Richards, General Manager Team & Action Sports, EA Sports.

EA Sports NHL 12 authentically captures hockey as it is played on the ice with over 300 gameplay refinements highlighted by three key innovations in Anticipation AI, Dynamic Goalies and the Full Contact Physics Engine. Anticipation AI takes NHL 12 to the next level as players will now intuitively determine their next move by reading and anticipating the play. With the Full Contact Physics Engine, size and strength matter. NHL12 continues to innovate by giving you true to life collisions and control over the battles in the crease. Bigger forwards will be able to plant themselves in front of the goalie for screens and larger defensemen will be able to drive smaller forwards out of the crease. Users will be given total control, by choosing to spin off their check to get in position, or use their size and strength to overpower the opposition. With Dynamic Goalies, goalies are live for the first time ever. Players can make contact with goalies as they crash the crease and goalies will battle through traffic in front of the net as they fight through screens to make awe-inspiring saves.

New in EA Sports NHL 12 is the introduction of legends; nine former NHL greats – such as Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, and Mario Lemieux – that will be integrated into the game across virtually every mode, including the all-new Be A Legend Mode, adding a new and exciting dimension to the NHL series. Be the next great legend in the revamped Be A Pro mode. Play as your created pro and earn every shift on the ice with stellar play, big hits, and spectacular goals as you progress towards greatness. New to the mode is the ability to simulate to your next shift while the all-new EA Sports Action Tracker, which tracks and presents every major event that takes place while your character is off the ice. This feature will enhance the gameplay experience as gamers will now spend less time watching from the bench and more time playing, while still being aware of the game situation as they step back onto the ice for their next shift.

Get ready to play Hockey Ultimate Team all day, every day with EA Ultimate Hockey League 24/7 with your EA Account, Online Pass and internet connection. New to Hockey Ultimate Team is the ability to play against a user’s team even when they are offline as opponents’ teams will be downloaded directly from the EA servers, presenting the player with a fresh opponent each time and thousands of teams to compete against. Face off against teams that are within range of your skill level or test your skill against a Top 100 team – the best the EAUHL has to offer.

School 26 is a social mastery game that balances high school drama with cute cartoon artwork, lively characters, and an engaging storyline. Playing as Kate, the new girl in school, you must build relationships, defuse tensions, and navigate high school’s sticky social situations. From first crushes to troubled friendships to sexual confusion, the game explores real issues its teen audience can relate to.

Set in a typical North American high school, School 26 gives Japanese players a unique opportunity to experience North American teen culture in their native language, without having to travel abroad. In addition, Japanese players get free access to the English version, making School 26 a useful tool for players who wish to practice their English skills.

“Japan is the home of the video game, and we’re honored to share School 26 with this rich culture,” says Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, Silicon Sisters’ CEO. “Plus, Japanese girls are great gamers! We’re excited to attend the Tokyo Game Show where we can meet Japanese teens in person and see what they think of School 26.”

Starting September 15, Tokyo Game Show attendees can take a look at the localized game at booth 5-C25 in the Mobile & Social Game area. Press who would like to arrange a hands-on demo and English language interview with a Silicon Sisters representative should email pr@siliconsisters.ca to secure an appointment. School 26 will also be shown to the public during the show’s all access days.

Stylish Girl is a multifunctional fashion app focusing on three major fashion elements:

1. users’ virtual closets where they can create numerous outfits

2. Shopping by allowing users to combine items from the online fashion stores with their own and shop from their phone directly

3. fashion news on style and tips from professional stylist The social element anchors the fun by the allowing users to post links and pictures of items and outfits with comments to twitter and Facebook

Stylish Girl was presented by Apple on New York Fashion Week as a successful symbiosis of mobile technology and fashion and later included in their well-known campaign for the app store”There’s an app for that.”

This is the first time that European clubs will be officially represented in the NBA JAM franchise, one of the most successful video games in sports history. All fans will be able to choose any of the four participating teams in the last Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four. Dimitris Diamantidis and Mike Batiste of Panathinaikos Athens, Lior Eliyahu and Sofoklis Schortsanitis of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, Bo McCalebb and Ksistof Lavrinovic of Montepaschi Siena, Sergio Llull and Carlos Suarez of Real Madrid will be amongst the players representing the four Euroleague teams in the 2–on–2 basketball games.

Currently in development at EA Canada,  NBA JAM: On Fire Edition will change the way players play this iconic franchise. All your favorite moves, spins and dunks are still available but now includes a host of gameplay improvements.  NBA JAM: On Fire Edition brings you even more to this basketball arcade classic.  Enhanced gameplay, ground breaking artificial intelligence and exciting online features continue to bring countless hours of enjoyment to this over-the-top experience.  The game will be available via digital download.

Filthy. Freezing. Kinda smelly. These are just four of the five words used to describe the scene in an Alberta basement Monday morning where three of the studio’s designers were found. Tired, cold, and mildly infuriated with one another, the trio had been held hostage for months by their own iOS game.

Details are sparse but it appears the three friends – who have no professional or practical experience in much of anything – were taken hostage by their iOS game “Scribble Byte Scramble” at some point early in development.

Authorities suspect the trio was likely unaware of the dangers of game development.

Possessing little money and even less sanity, the trio aimed to develop and release their game on a timeline and budget that was initially described as ‘brilliant’ – it has since been downgraded to ‘laughable’.

The whereabouts of “Scribble Byte Scramble” – the  game responsible for this catastrophe – are unknown, but it is expected to resurface in early September. Rumours suggest the trio are currently in recovery, receiving extensive treatments from an Italian pharmaceutical specialist.

“The control systems available on the PlayStation®Vita have allowed us to experiment with all kinds of new gameplay possibilities.  We’re finding that touch controls in particular can be used to complement traditional thumb-stick puzzle-platforming very well”, said DrinkBox Designer Chris McQuinn.  He added: “We learned a lot developing our first game – we want to use that experience to deliver the best game we can in Mutant Blobs Attack.”

DrinkBox will be showing an early development build of the game this weekend at PAX Prime 2011 in Seattle.

“Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? is an acclaimed TV game show franchise that translates into an extremely fun and social game on Facebook,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “We’re thrilled to release yet another top game show property featuring multiplayer, simultaneous game play- a unique formula that has proven to be highly addictive for players and very successful for Ludia.”

Contestants simultaneously compete to correctly answer eight multiple choice questions pooled from different school subjects such as Art, World Geography, Earth Science, Math, Languages, and others, with the ability to use the “copy” cheat to help answer difficult questions. The top three players at the end of the first round have a chance at boosting “cash” earnings by correctly answering a 5^th Grader Bonus Question. At the end of the game, a successful contestant can share winnings with friends, and brag about the win by posting it on his/her Facebook Wall.

Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? on Facebook features:

• Live, multiplayer game play with friends and other Are You Smarter 5^th Grader fans, and the ability to follow friends’ grades and progress in the game.
• Favorite elements from the You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader TV show, including thousands of questions drawn from 10 different academic subjects, authentic theme music and the familiar “classroom” setting.
• The ability to choose Facebook friends as “cheats” from whom players can “copy” an answer in order to earn bonus points and increase the chances of winning.

“This exciting game release brings a whole new dimension and audience to Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader?,” said Mark Burnett. “We’re delighted to see the franchise continue to thrive on Facebook so that fans of the TV show and players who enjoy social games will have an outstanding interactive experience with the brand.”

Currently in development at Behaviour Interactive, Wipeout 2 will offer updated, outrageous course designs across all platforms with obstacles and effects taken straight from the show’s summer and winter seasons. Players must navigate around snow, ice, foam, and fan-favorite obstacles like the Sucker Punch Wall and Big Balls; which are making their triumphant returns alongside more than 50 others. Extended gameplay on all systems encourages even more interaction and participation with family and friends. Once again, all the wild and crazy action is narrated by the show’s hosts John Anderson and John Henson.

“I’m excited that the video game series is evolving just like our show,” said Matt Kunitz, Wipeout’s Creator and Executive Producer. “Players will experience all the fun of the new winter and summer courses without being sore in the morning!”

Particular attention is being paid to making every platform experience unique with ramped up excitement that engages gamers like never before. Freshly revised controls makes for intuitive and easy to use motion-based gameplay for Wii owners. The PlayStation Move and Kinect for Xbox 360 titles will offer gamers the ability to taunt and toss paintballs and snowballs at family and friends while they run the course.

Handheld gaming will finally become a communal experience with pass and play ‘Hot Seat’ participation for up to 4 players with Nintendo 3DS players also seeing their graphics taken to a whole new dimension. No matter how players choose to enjoy, the crazy and hilarious fun is taken to wild new heights with Wipeout 2.

“Working with ABC on the Wipeout titles has been a tremendous success,” said Nicole Armstrong, Activision Publishing. “Their integration of the game series into the show has been outstanding and their contributions to the game make it truly appealing for fans. We look forward to bringing more great Wipeout experiences to families.”

The Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS versions have been rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. The Wii, PlayStation Move and Kinect for Xbox 360 versions have been rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB.

Already enjoyed by millions of players around the globe, games in the Nintendo Selects collection offer boundless fun at an enticing price for Wii users of any experience level, whether they want to expand their own game libraries or find affordable, fun-packed gifts for loved ones. The Wii console, which comes bundled with the Mario Kart™ Wii game and the Wii Wheel™ accessory, delivers extraordinary entertainment value for families and is available for a suggested retail price of $149.99.

Three of the four new additions to the Nintendo Selects collection invite players to interact with Nintendo’s iconic Mario™ character in imaginative and entertaining ways: Super Mario Galaxy is an out-of-this-world adventure in which Mario must travel through outer space to rescue Princess Peach™ from the devious Bowser™; Super Paper Mario offers classic Mario RPG action that can be switched from flat 2D worlds to a full open-world perspective; and Mario Strikers Charged finds the Mushroom Kingdom crew storming the soccer field for fast-paced athletic kicks. Also, the fan-favorite Punch-Out!! game delivers motion-controlled boxing thrills with a host of memorable characters. All four games feature multiplayer modes that let friends and family members have fun together.

Previously announced games in the Nintendo Selects collection include The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk, Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports™.

The goal is to upgrade the sword to your liking, up to a set level. Any power changes both the gameplay and the sword’s appearance significantly. Some of these powers can be combined to create new abilities. There are nine powers which can be upgraded five times each and four hidden combos. Examples of gameplay altering powers: transform the dash attack into a teleport spell or transform the block ability into an offensive ability.

Venture too far at your own risk in the vast expanse of levels. Falling in the wrong hole might force you to fight off waves of punishing monsters – unless you’ve done your homework and learned their patterns. Brand will deliver a different experience to each player. Although a typical game will be short (a few hours), it will offer a lot of replay value through the exploration of different play styles. Nine Dots is exploring the possibility of releasing the game on Steam at a later date, but has not committed to that avenue of development.